Spring 2005

Dear Friends,

We have two new wines to offer: 2001 Cain Five and NV2 Cain Cuvée.

The 2001 Cain Five, as I wrote in my letters of last year, begins the first in a series of excellent vintages for the North Coast and for the Napa Valley in particular. In my opinion, 2001 is the best vintage since 1994. Our 2001 Cain Five has a subtle and complex nose, a surprising amount of sweetness on the entry, with a long, sumptuous, intriguing finish. We’re all very proud of this wine. It is drinking well today, and it will be great in ten years or so.

Fifth in the “NV” series, the NV2 Cain Cuvée carries on the Cuvée quest for balance, grace, and volume without weight. In this it succeeds while conveying the most sweetness of any Cain Cuvée thus far (the wine itself, of course, has nary a trace of sugar). The NV2 will gain in complexity as the edges round out over the next year or two. This Cuvée answers perfectly for those days when you don’t need a big wine but you do want a drink that’s refreshing and that will enhance whatever is on your plate.

In a time when one might become increasingly suspicious that some wines, especially some of those from the Napa Valley, are not worth the price, we at Cain have been clear about the unique value of our Cain Cuvée, and we’ve chosen never to overcharge. This release marks the sixth Cuvée to be offered at the same price. We know that this wine has greater value than many wines bearing a significantly higher price tag. Moreover, our accountant tells us that we cannot hope to maintain this pricing and still stay in business. Thus, the NV2 will be the last Cain Cuvée at the current price. It would be wise to take advantage of this opportunity.

One last note: All of us at Cain are gratified by your response to our wines. We do not rely on publicity or scores to sell our wines, but we do depend upon adventurous wine lovers who are confident in their own taste and who know what they like. You found your way to Cain, and you keep coming back. We thank you!

Christopher Howell
Winemaker/General Manager